Aptonym is a noun that refers to a name that coincidentally describes a person’s profession.

The suffix N-Y-M has evolved from the Greek word for ‘name.’ Our word of the day combines this with the word apt, which means ‘fitting’ or ‘appropriate.’ So if a person were named James Farmer, his surname would be an aptonym if he made a living in agriculture.

One of the strangest things about the novel was all of the aptonyms. There was a police officer named Jimmy Cop, a vocalist named Frances Singer and a landscaper named Tori Gardener. When a character named Steve Lawless showed up, I knew things were going to get interesting.